"Window and masonry caulking in hundreds of older schools in New England probably contain very high levels of now-banned toxins that can gradually be released into the air, posing a potential health risk to students and staff, environmental specialists say.

The tainted caulking was also used in some office buildings, college facilities, and other structures constructed around the country in the 1960s and 1970s, though rarely in single-family homes. The US Environmental Protection Agency plans soon to issue rules to guide school officials and owners of other buildings on how to test for the chemicals and what to do if they are found."